Posts Tagged ‘AuSable Club’

The Adirondack Mountain Reserve (“AMR”) is immediately reducing the parking capacity on its lot located on the southerly end of Ausable Road where it intersects with Route 73 in St. Huberts. This action is being taken by AMR to protect visitors, staff, and the greater community from COVID-19, according to General Manager John R. Schuler.
This reduction will remain in place throughout the duration of the New York State on PAUSE.

The “Lot” design will accommodate a maximum of 28 vehicles. When this limit is reached, violations thereafter will be strictly enforced. It should be noted that there is no parking permitted on the roadside, shoulder, of Ausable Road or on the grounds of the Ausable Club.

On his first day on the new job, Willie Janeway said he has no big changes in mind at the Adirondack Council—at least, not right away.

Janeway, who is forty-nine, resigned this year as a regional director for the state Department of Environmental Conservation to become executive director of the council.

“I get to be an ambassador for the Adirondack Park. What a great thing to sell—the Adirondacks,” Janeway said Wednesday in an interview with the Adirondack Explorer and Adirondack Daily Enterprise. » Continue Reading.

Arthur V. Savage of Elizabethtown, Keene, and points south died on December 26 and belongs in my pantheon of Adirondack conservation champions. Judging from the flow of email following his death, that also holds true for many others. He was a man of varied interests, commitments, and for all seasons. I am hoping this short post will stimulate others who knew Arthur better than I to share their thoughts.

Arthur’s obituary was in many regional papers as well as The New York Times. His importance as an early leader in environmental law circles can’t be overstated. I knew Arthur principally for his work on the boards of the not for profit Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks (AFPA) and NYS Adirondack Park Agency. When Arthur joined these boards, the former through the recruitment of AFPA’s long-time chairman Arthur Crocker in the 1960s, and the latter thanks to his nomination to the APA by Governor Hugh Carey in 1979, he gave a complete effort.» Continue Reading.

The Ausable River Association will host a Ride for the River bike ride on Sunday, September 16. The event will include a 37-mile scenic bike ride following the river from headwaters to lake designed to raise awareness of issues affecting the Ausable River’s vital natural resources and raise funds for the Ausable River Association (AsRA), a local organization that stewards the watershed’s resources and connects communities around protection of the river.

Ride for the River will start near the source of the Ausable East Branch by the Ausable Club and follow the gentle path of the river valley to conclude with a picnic on the Main Stem at the famous Ausable Chasm. For the more adventurous, a ride back to start will accomplish a total of 74 miles. The Ride has an intermediate grade along the river and is entirely on state roads, the majority of which have wide shoulders. A portion of this route is used in the Ironman Lake Placid Triathlon. » Continue Reading.

After NYS Supreme Court Justice Joseph Crater went missing in New York City in 1930, the search led to Plattsburgh and then to the Meridian Hotel, a few feet across the border from Champlain.

Nothing concrete was found in New York’s northeastern corner, but a few days later, Crater was sighted at Fourth Lake in the Old Forge area. He was also “positively” identified as one of two men seen at a Raquette Lake hunting lodge in late August. Two detectives followed that trail, while others were summoned to confirm a sighting at the Ausable Club near Keene Valley.
As if that wasn’t enough, it was announced that Crater had spent a couple of days at Hulett’s Landing on the eastern shore of Lake George, and then at Brant Lake. Police and detectives pursued every lead, while headlines told the story from New York to Texas to Seattle. » Continue Reading.

While my in-laws were in town, my husband suggested revisiting some of his father’s old haunts. Both 46ers a couple times over, my husband knew his father would no longer be able to hike the High Peaks but would still enjoy sharing some tales. On his recommendation we go to the Ausable Club and walk an easy path known as “The Ladies Mile.”

My first thought was he was joking. There is such a thing as a ladies’ mile? Have I been walking a man-mile all this time and not knowing it? I am going to run a 5K and I’m not in shape. So if a ladies’ mile is shorter, I plan on requesting a few of them. No such luck. The Ladies’ Mile is a beautiful path, part of the private Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR) and Ausable Club. Though the public has permission to hike in the AMR it is still private land and has strict rules to follow in order to have access. No dogs, camping or swimming. (Please do not leave the trails and carry out anything you bring in.)

Most hikers entering the Ausable Club property usually bypass this easy trail for the larger gain of the St. Hubert region consisting of such High Peaks as Sawteeth, Nippletop, Dial, Colvin, Blake and Gothics.

We enter the club property and my husband kindly offers to drive the car to the hiker’s parking lot the half-mile past the golf course. We turn left by the tennis courts, and follow the gravel road past guest cottages. At the main gate a watchman greets us and hands us a trail map. We sign in and I make a comment about The Ladies Mile. Honestly, it was funny. All I got was a roll of his eyes. I am guessing he has heard all the comments before.

We walk a short distance to a two-plank bridge with a green sign clearly marked for the Ladies’ Mile. It is a bit slippery but the chicken wire attached to the planks helps keep us steady. There is a half–mile option but we choose to go the whole distance today. It is nice to be able to find a wonderful walk that fits all levels of our family. Grandmothers hold hands with granddaughters while grandfathers relay hiking experiences to grandsons.

The path is clearly marked with orange AMC markers. We soon come to another bridge that will cross the Ausable River. We will save that for another day. Our trail cuts back behind us so we turn around and follow the river, keeping it on our left.

Stone steps are set into a small incline. The river flows swiftly by. I sit and relax watching the water rush over stones and fallen branches. The path veers back toward the main road. After passing a wood shed we start to hear sounds of civilization again. One more footbridge over a small creek and we are back at the main gate.

I am not sure where the mile is measured from, perhaps the parking lot. Either way, it is nice to find a place where all hiking levels can walk together and still feel lost in the woods.

From Keene Valley continue south on Route 73 for about 2.5 miles. Turn right onto Ausable Road. The parking lot is located ½-mile east of the Ausable Clubhouse.

Here is a disturbing story from Glens Falls blogger (i am alive) who was arrested for trespassing after signing the register at the gatehouse at the Adirondack Mountain Reserve’s Lake Road entrance and attempting to hike to Dial and Nippletop mountains:

…we were approached by an armed man. other than his name tag, he was not dressed as a security officer, but he was carrying a silver pistol. he had a digital camera bag around his neck and had a small bleeding wound on his face. without explanation, he took out the camera and began taking pictures of us. as soon as he began speaking, we knew our hike was over……he proceeded to escort us back to the gatehouse and detain us. he called in another security guard from the Ausable Club and summoned a state officer by radio. we sat being totally cooperative, providing identification and surrendering adam’s weapons (he had a leatherman and his new kershaw knife). inside my head i am thinking, “this is just to scare us, he can’t really arrest us….right?”…

…here we waited for over an hour until a NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Officer could arrive to deal with all of our lawlessness. i actually felt bad for the EnCon officer. seriously, did he need to come all that way to deal with us? we would have quietly left the property if mr. cowboy said that we really couldn’t have the dog and had to turn around. he never gave us that chance.so in his generosity, mr. cowboy decided only to “arrest” one of us. oh yeah, you guessed it…it was me.

Amazing. That should be good for regional economic development. I guess it’s not surprising, even their web page is off limits – that is, unless you want to serve them.

What does this say about Sandy Treadwell, who claims AuSable Club owner William Weld as his surrogate? Does Treadwell condone arresting his constituents for through-hiking?

UPDATE: Apparently this is not an uncommon experience. Check out what happened to Press Republican outdoors writer Dennis Aprill in June of this year here.